


He’s Not My Brother

by Flurrbee



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Everyone Is Alive, Family Feels, Family Issues, Gen, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21727372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flurrbee/pseuds/Flurrbee
Summary: Five times Morgan Stark denied that Peter was her brother and the first time she claimed he was. In the process, everyone learns more about what it means to be a family.A post-Endgame, but everybody lives fiction.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 260





	1. One: Not His Parents

**Author's Note:**

> I should be working on other things (including the next chapter my other fic), but this came to me suddenly and needed to be written. 
> 
> I love stories where Peter and Morgan adore each other. This story is different. Morgan here is going to be a little petulant, a little spoiled, and very sheltered. She’s confused about changes happening to her family and doesn’t always react well.
> 
> Morgan is five and Peter is fifteen.

**Five Times Morgan Denied That Peter Was Her Brother (and The First Time She Claimed He Was)**

**One: Not His Parents**

Tony and Pepper were lounging on the sofa while they reviewed some SI contracts when they heard young voices arguing in the kitchen. 

“Morgan, do what your brother says,” Pepper called out, looking up from her tablet. She didn’t even know what the two kids were arguing about, but the combination of instinct and experience told her that Peter was in the right. 

The five year old girl stormed into the living room with a pout on her face. Peter followed a few steps behind her, his expression was more one of amusement. 

“Petey isn’t really my brother,” Morgan said firmly, her arms crossed against her chest. 

Peter, Tony, and Pepper all exchanged knowing glances. While her statement wasn’t expected, it wasn’t completely a surprise either. They had all known this day would come, when Morgan would realize that Peter wasn’t biologically or legally related to any of them. 

Tony gave her a fond look. “Why do you say that, sweetheart?” he asked gently. 

“You’re not his mommy and daddy,” Morgan pointed out. 

“You’re right, we’re not Peter’s mommy and daddy. But we love him as if we were,” Pepper said, giving both kids a motherly smile. 

Peter grinned back at her, while Morgan frowned. 

“Where are Peter’s mommy and daddy?” the little girl asked with innocent curiosity. 

Tony sighed sadly. “He lost them when he was little,” he told her gently. 

Morgan wrinkled her nose. “Lost them? That seems careless.” Mommy and Daddy often told her that she had been careless when she lost her things. 

The little girl turned to Peter. “Did you look under your bed? When I lost Mally, she was under my bed.” Her voice was harsh, almost reprimanding him. Mally was the plush Maleficent doll she always slept with. Peter thought there was a delightful irony in the fact that Morgan’s father was a superhero, but her comfort object was a villain. 

Tony frowned, realizing that Morgan hadn’t understood the euphemism. She was a smart kid who understood a lot of things. But Tony and Pepper had worked hard to keep their house by the lake a haven where their daughter was sheltered from some of the harsh facts of the world. Tony didn’t know what to tell her now. He looked to Pepper for guidance, but she also appeared to be at a loss about how to respond. 

Peter was the one to provide an explanation. “He doesn’t mean lost as in misplaced, Mo. He means they’re dead. My Mom and Dad died when I was little.” The teen’s words were necessarily blunt, but his voice was soft. 

Morgan’s face changed from annoyance to puzzlement and then to something like fear. She gasped and looked at Tony and Pepper. “Parents can die?” she asked, little more than a whisperer. 

Tony’s heart broke as he watched Morgan realize this terrible truth. It broke again when he thought how Peter had learned it firsthand around the same age. Tony hoped Morgan would never know how close she had been to learning that lesson the hard way. 

Pepper gave Peter a sympathetic look, then turned to Morgan and opened her arms. The little girl ran to her mother’s embrace. 

“Yes, sweetie. Sometimes parents die,” Pepper said in quiet tones as she hugged her daughter close. “But it’s usually not until their kids are all grown up and don’t need them anymore. What happened to Peter’s parents was tragic, but you don’t need to worry about Mommy and Daddy.”

Tony often thought about that moment on the battlefield. Pepper had told him that it was time for him to rest, that they would all be okay. Her voice had been gentle, loving, and so sad. For a moment, he believed her. He had been about to let go, to let himself drift away. But then his attention had refocused and he heard Peter’s quiet sobs, the boy’s watery “No...no.” It had reminded Tony that although the world would be okay without him, _his children still needed him._ That was enough to make him determined to fight for his life. The difficult recovery had been worth it, and he felt more content with his children nearby. While Pepper and Peter both knew how close Tony had come to dying, Morgan was blissfully unaware. 

The little girl was also oblivious to the number of children who had been orphaned in the snap or in the aftermath of the snap back. Or that children could lose their parents in other tragic ways. Tony hoped he could protect her from some of these harsh truths for a while longer, or maybe forever. 

Morgan turned in her mother’s arms so she could face the teen. “So you don’t have a mommy and daddy anymore?” she asked tentatively. 

Peter blinked rapidly to clear the unshed tears from his eyes and shook his head. “No,” he said quietly. 

The little girl nestled against her mother and then said firmly, “You can’t have mine.” She shook her little head to emphasize her point. 

“Morgan!” Tony exclaimed, partly in shock at her words and partly as a reprimand. Then more softly he said, “Sweetheart, family is more than just the people you’re born to. Peter is part of our family.”

Peter gave his mentor a grateful look. Tony had become like a father to him, even before Thanos. But they had become even closer after Peter had returned from the snap. And Pepper had accepted him into their lives easily, acting like a mother to him. They both had made it clear that Peter had an open invitation to visit the lake house as often as he wanted. They loved having him there. 

Morgan, however, had been more wary. Initially, she had been excited to meet the boy she had only known through stories and pictures. At the same time, she had been shy of him, unsure of the teenager. Some days she was thrilled when he came to the lake house. She enjoyed playing with Peter and loved when he made swings with his webs. But other days, she seemed confused by his sudden presence in their family life. 

Peter sat down on the coffee table so he could look Morgan in the eye. “It’s okay if you don’t want me to be your brother. But I love you, Mo, and I hope we can still be friends.”

Morgan nodded. “Of course we’re friends,” she said quietly. She leaned forward and fell into Peter’s arms, hugging him. 

Peter decided that for now, it would be enough. 


	2. Two: Doesn’t Really Live Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It turns out that I am Not Good at juggling multiple stories at once. It’s been a long time since I wrote chapter one and this story has been back burnered for a while. I’m almost done with the next chapter for Project Legacy, but this piece was nagging at me for an update. So here it is.

**Two: Doesn’t Really Live Here**

Summer was coming to an end and Morgan would be starting kindergarten in a few weeks. Tony and Pepper had visited the small school in the nearby village. It was a charming little building with traditional architecture. The teachers were warm and obviously cared about their students. However, it simply didn’t have the academic resources or the security Tony and Pepper felt were necessary for their daughter. After much debate and discussion, they decided to look at schools in New York City. They visited several fine schools and then enrolled Morgan in the best, most elite elementary school in the city. 

Now the Stark family was moving from the lake house to a recently purchased penthouse in Manhattan. Stark Tower - the Avengers Tower - had been sold long ago. The new Stark Industries headquarters wasn’t really appropriate for residential space and Tony was no longer interested in living above the company. Tony and Pepper had bought the top five floors of the most luxurious apartment building in Manhattan. Then they spared no expense in having the place completely gutted and redesigned to fit their needs. 

The new penthouse was nothing like the one Tony had built in his bachelor days. That decor had been cool and modern, with a focus on entertaining. This new penthouse was built for family life and radiated warmth and comfort. Of course, one floor was still devoted to workshops and labs. Iron Man was officially retired - except for PR appearances. However, Tony (and Peter) still needed a space to work on special projects, as well as improve the tech for Spider-Man and the other Avengers. 

The family would still use the lake house as a vacation home during school breaks and the occasional long weekend. So it wasn’t necessary to pack up everything to move to the city. Still, Morgan had agonized over what toys to take with her and what to leave behind. The lake house was the only home she had known. The idea of living somewhere else was both exciting and a little frightening. 

When the day finally came to move in, Tony and Pepper were thrilled to show the kids around the new family home. They looked at the fully equipped kitchen and the comfortable living room. Then they saw the guest floor for visiting friends, the game room and the home theatre. Both kids grew increasingly giddy with every room they saw. Finally, the parents led the kids down the hallway where the bedrooms were. 

“Here’s your room, sweetie.” Pepper said to Morgan, as she opened the door. 

The room was fit for a fairytale princess. There was a large canopy bed in the center of the room. To one side was a large play area with a huge dollhouse and all the accessories, as well as a new family of dolls to live in it. There were all kinds of other new toys, plushies, and games. An ornate trunk was full of high quality dress-up clothes. On the other side of the room was a study area with a child-sized desk stocked with school supplies and a bookcase full of both non-fiction and story books. The floor had a plush pink rug and floor cushions were scattered around the room. The whole room was light and airy, decorated in a beautiful pastel palette. 

The little girl squealed in delight as she ran through the room, checking out everything. Then she ran back to her parents. 

“Mommy! Daddy! I love it!” Morgan practically shouted in her excitement. 

“And Peter’s room is right across the hall from you,” Tony said, opening the door to the teenager’s room. 

Peter grinned in amazement, but Morgan frowned. 

If Morgan’s room was fit for a little princess, Peter’s was fit for a young science nerd. Peter also had a large bed, which was pushed up against the far wall. His study area included a huge desk, holographic displays, shelves for books as well as tools and equipment for his smaller projects. The other side of the room had a couch, bean bag chairs, a large television and video game consoles with all the latest games. There were also cases with Star Wars memorabilia and Lego sets. The whole room was done in light grey and blue tones that were soothing to his senses and there were pops of red accents throughout. Subtle spider motifs could be found around the room. 

While Peter explored his new room, Morgan just stayed by the doorway. 

“This is amazing! It’s perfect! Thank you so much!” the boy gushed, to the adults’ delight. They loved seeing both kids happy with their rooms. 

“Mission accomplished,” Pepper whispered to her husband. 

“Indeed,” Tony replied as he kissed his wife’s cheek. 

“Why don’t I have a TV?” Morgan asked petulantly as she looked into Peter’s room. 

“You can have one when you're twelve,” Tony answered automatically. They had been over this rule before. Then he grinned at her teasingly. “Of course you could ask Pete if he wants to trade the TV for your dollhouse.”

Morgan huffed and pouted. She stamped her little foot. That was a definite _no._

Pepper suppressed a giggle at her daughter’s dramatics. “What do you think of your brother’s room?” Pepper asked. 

“Petey’s not my brother. I don’t have a brother,” the little girl said firmly. “Is this a guest bedroom?” Her little face was furrowed into a frown. 

Tony saw how Peter’s smile fell and it gave him a pain in his own heart. 

“No, it’s Peter’s room,” Tony replied, keeping his tone light and upbeat. 

“At our other house, when Petey came over he stayed in the guest room.” Morgan pointed out. 

Tony shook his head. “No. That used to be a guest room. After Peter came back, it became Peter’s room.” 

“No, it was always a guest room. Petey doesn’t live with us. So he doesn’t have his own room. He stays in a guest room. _This_ is a guest room.” Morgan pointed to the room that had clearly been designed for the boy in question. 

Tony considered that at the lake house, Morgan had always referred to Peter’s room as _the guest room._ Tony had assumed that it was just a lingering habit from before the snap back. Now he recognized that it was part of Morgan’s continued hot and cold acceptance of the teen. Some days Morgan adored Peter, hung on his every word, and wouldn’t leave him alone. Other days she didn’t want anything to do with the young hero. Peter, on the other hand, loved the little girl without question. 

“Petey doesn’t live here,” Morgan insisted. “When he’s here, he’s just a guest.” 

Tony gave an exasperated sigh. Peter looked at the floor, unsure how to respond to that. 

Pepper knelt down next to her daughter. “Do you remember when we talked about how families can be different? Some kids have a mom and a dad and some kids have two moms or two dads or just a mom or just a dad. And sometimes kids don’t have their parents at all, but have guardians who take care of them instead. Remember all that?”

Morgan nodded. “Like how Petey’s mommy and daddy are dead and now he doesn’t have any parents.” The girl made no attempt to soften her words and said it with all the harsh bluntness a five-year old could muster. 

Pepper winced a little and was sure Peter did too. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean that Peter doesn’t have a family. He has Aunt May and he has us. You and me and Daddy are part of Peter’s family. And he is part of ours.”

“But he doesn’t really live here,” Morgan insisted. 

Pepper gave her a gentle smile. “Peter doesn’t live with us full time. He lives with Aunt May sometimes and with us sometimes. But now that we’re in Manhattan, he’ll be able to stay with us a lot more often.”

Tony explained patiently, “Sweetheart, when you go to school, you’re going to meet kids with all kinds of different living situations. Some kids live in one home all the time. Other kids split their time between two homes. Like Peter does.”

Morgan thought about that with a deep frown. Abruptly, her attitude changed completely and she brightly asked, “Does that mean I can stay with Aunt May sometimes?”

Despite her only tentative acceptance of Peter, Morgan loved May Parker wholeheartedly. She wouldn’t call Peter her brother, but she definitely considered May to be her own aunt. Still, her enthusiastic question took the others by surprise. 

“Uhm… sure… well, maybe. We’ll have to talk to May about that,” Tony sputtered out. 

“May would love that,” Peter said affectionately. 

“Do I get to have my own room there?” the little girl asked with a gleam in her eye. 

Peter thought about the modest two bedroom apartment he and May lived in. It was comfortable, but just big enough for the two of them. May had refused Tony’s offers to get them someplace bigger. Glancing at Tony and Pepper, he could see they were thinking about it too.

“I’ll tell you what, Mo, you can share mine. There’s bunk beds.” Peter offered with his usual good nature. 

Morgan nodded and grinned up at Peter. He gave her a wide smile in return. 

Despite the happy expressions on both of the kids’ faces, Tony couldn’t help but think that this idea was going to lead to disaster. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, Morgan is not evil. She is a confused five year old trying to make sense of things. As I said in the notes for the previous chapter, she’s a little spoiled and very sheltered. Tony and Pepper are devoted and loving parents. But I think that after everything they have been through, it just makes sense that they would spoil and shelter a child born to them after the snap. 
> 
> Morgan will visit Aunt May’s apartment, but not in the next chapter. When it does happen, we will see how Morgan handles her first experience with class differences. (Spoiler: it won’t go well.)


End file.
